A trio of youths make their way along a new road in a horse-drawn wagon, a typical mode of transportation in this remote, sparsely settled region in northeastern Brazil. The road, known as PI-309, was completed in 2018 to reduce the driving time from Teresina, the capital of Piaui state, to the Atlantic coast and its stunning beaches. Vast stretches of desert-like scrub dominate the terrain. Small settlements of simple brick homes are scattered along the way amid sparse forests. They provide little relief from the oppressive, year-round heat. To subsist, the locals raise chickens and goats housed in rudimentary built pens adjacent to their homes. Some tend to small fields of corn and soybeans. Motorbikes are parked in front of most homes – but no cars – as the two-wheelers are the fastest way to reach the area’s few villages, where they can buy supplies and, occasionally, find work.